Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them

The present commentary contains a clear and simple guide designed to identify ultra-processed foods. It responds to the growing interest in ultra-processed foods among policy makers, academic researchers, health professionals, journalists and consumers concerned to devise policies, investigate dietary patterns, advise people, prepare media coverage, and when buying food and checking labels in shops or at home. Ultra-processed foods are defined within the NOVA classification system, which groups foods according to the extent and purpose of industrial processing. Processes enabling the manufacture of ultra-processed foods include the fractioning of whole foods into substances, chemical modifications of these substances, assembly of unmodified and modified food substances, frequent use of cosmetic additives and sophisticated packaging. Processes and ingredients used to manufacture ultra-processed foods are designed to create highly profitable (low-cost ingredients, long shelf-life, emphatic branding), convenient (ready-to-consume), hyper-palatable products liable to displace all other NOVA food groups, notably unprocessed or minimally processed foods. A practical way to identify an ultra-processed product is to check to see if its list of ingredients contains at least one item characteristic of the NOVA ultra-processed food group, which is to say, either food substances never or rarely used in kitchens (such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or interesterified oils, and hydrolysed proteins), or classes of additives designed to make the final product palatable or more appealing (such as flavours, flavour enhancers, colours, emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, sweeteners, thickeners, and anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, foaming, gelling and glazing agents).

Obtaining a Spreadable Cheese Sort with Additives of Bioactive Compounds

To conduct this study, a market survey was conducted in the form of a questionnaire to see what assortment of cheese and what ingredients bioactive compounds people want to consume. In order to find out what assortment of cheese and what ingredients with bioactive compounds people want to consume, a market survey was made in the form of a questionnaire. Taking into account the results of the survey,to process a melted cheese mix with the addition of dried tomatoes and basil. A technological scheme was developed for this cheese and sodium bicarbonate was used instead of melting and emulsifying salts to try to obtain a healthier product. The obtained product was analyzed for a period of 30 days from a sensory and physico-chemical. Physico-chemical and sensory properties of the obtained product were analyzed for a period of 30 days.

The antimicrobial role of emulsifying salts against E.coli O157:H7 contaminated local markets soft cheese of Baquba city

The aim of this study was to investigate the degree of contamination of locally produced soft cheese samples by Escherichia coli O157:H7 and to determine the ideal emulsifying salts and their appropriate ratios for emulsification of soft cheese and their impacts on microbial load of that influence public health. Samples collected randomly from five popular parties markets affiliated to the city of Baquba 60 samples of the local soft cheese produced by farmers at a rate of 30 samples for each of the summer season, from the beginning of July to the end of August, while the other thirty sample of winter season were collected from the beginning of December to the end of January to study their bacterial load of coli form and Escherichia coli especially E. coli O157:H7. The result showed total bacterial count characterized by high significance (P<0.01) in the local cheese samples of summer and winter season also. The results proved the bactericidal and bacteriostatic effect of emulsifying salts on microbial activity was confirmed when the total bacterial count was significantly (P<0.01) reduced in soft cheese with (2.5%) of emulsifying salts added. Were no growth of E. coli and E. coli O157:H7 after adding (2%) of emulsifying salts to nutrient broth and the results confirmed that the best mixing of the components of emulsifying salts that is made up of (90% Sodium tripolyphosphate + 10% Trisodium citrate).